The present application relates to semiconductors, and more specifically, to techniques for forming semiconductor structures. Magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) is a non-volatile computer memory (NVRAM) technology. In some conventional random access memory (RAM) devices, data is stored as electric charge or current flows. MRAM, in contrast, stores data using magnetic storage elements. Such elements may be formed using two ferromagnetic plates separated by a thin insulating later. Spin transfer torque MRAM (STT-MRAM) is a type of MRAM device in which the spin of electrons can be flipped using a spin-polarized current in a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ).